CQC Essentials: Mandatory training considerations in general practice

The CQC explains its position on mandatory training for staff working in general practice, outlining what inspectors will expect to see during an inspection.

This article relates to the CQC key question: Is your practice effective?

The CQC does not have a list of mandatory training for members of the GP practice team. This is because exact training requirements will depend on the role and specific responsibilities of practices and the needs of the people using the service.

Ultimately the practice is responsible for determining what mandatory, and additional, training staff need to meet the needs of their patients.

We look at staff training under our key question of how effective a provider is. Key line of enquiry (KLOE) E3 specifically considers whether 'staff have the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment'. All providers are required, under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 to meet Regulation 18. Providers must have sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service at all times.

What will the CQC look at during an inspection?

During an inspection our team will look at whether staff have the right qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience to do their job:

when they start their employment

when they take on new responsibilities

on an ongoing basis.

We look at how the provider identifies the learning needs of staff; and whether they have appropriate training to meet their learning needs and to cover the scope of their work.

As we have said, we do not have a definitive list of mandatory training. However, these are examples of training that we would expect to see evidence of:

Providers could be asked to demonstrate training for clinical staff linked to their specific clinical responsibilities. For nursing staff, for example, this could be taking samples for the cervical screening programme, administering vaccines and for extended roles in treating minor illness and long-term conditions.

Professor Nigel Sparrow is senior national GP advisor and responsible officer at the CQC